Softball Travels To Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament Hosted By Mississippi State

Kassandra Gewecke pitches against Southeastern Louisiana at the 2026 NFCA Leadoff Classic

Photo by: Matthew Richards

Softball Travels To Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament Hosted By Mississippi State

Feb 10 | Softball

Scarlet Knights To Meet Host #21 Mississippi State Along With North Texas And Murray State

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers softball is off to Starkville, Mississippi for The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament to take on host #21 Mississippi State, North Texas and Murray State.

Softball Week 2 On Deck graphic featuring Brooke Shifflett

TOURNAMENT INFO

Tournament:	The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament Starkville, Mississippi \| Nusz Park
Game Notes:	Rutgers \| Mississippi State \| Murray State \| North Texas \| Tournament Central
Statistics:	Ru tgers \| Mississippi State \| Murray State \| North Texas \| Big Ten
Live Stats & Video:	Friday, Feb. 13 4:00 p.m. - Rutgers vs. Mississippi State - Stats \| Video (SEC+) 6:30 p.m. - Rutgers vs. North Texas - Stats Saturday, Feb. 14 11:00 a.m. - Rutgers vs. Murray State - Stats 4:00 p.m. - Rutgers vs. Mississippi State - Stats \| Video (SEC+) Sunday, Feb. 15 10:00 a.m. - Rutgers vs. Murray State - Stats * - All times listed ET
Social Media:	Facebook \| X \| Instagram

ABOUT RUTGERS

Head Coach: Kristen Butler (Florida '06) - 264-313 overall (12th season)/160-191 at Rutgers (eighth season)
2026 Record: 3-2

Top Scarlet Knights:
Batting

Siera Hoekstra - .571 BA, 3 runs, 4 hits, 1 HR, 3 RBIs
Kelsey Hoesktra - .556 BA, 3 runs, 5 hits, 3 doubles, 3 RBIs
Addie Osborne - .385 BA, 3 runs, 5 hits, 3 doubles, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs

Pitching

Kelsey Hoekstra - 2-0 W-L, 0.0 ERA, 1 CG, 1 shutout, 11.2 IP, 13 Ks
Kassandra Gewecke - 1-0 W-L, 2.15 ERA, 13.0 IP, 6 Ks

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE

Head Coach: Samantha Ricketts (Oklahoma '09) - 202-119 overall (Seventh season)/202-119 at Mississippi State (Seventh Season)
2026 Record: 4-0
Rankings: #21 - NFCA/GoRout | #21 - ESPN/USA Softball | #17 - D1Softball | #18 - Softball America

All-Time Series: Mississippi State Leads 1-0 (Last Meeting: March 20, 2009 - L, 0-6)

Top Bulldogs :
Batting

Morgan Stiles - .500 BA, 5 runs, 7 hits, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs
Anna Carder - .500 BA - 1 run, 3 hits, 3 RBIs
Taylor Troutman - .444, 3 runs, 4 hits, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs

Pitching

Peja Goold - 2-0 W-L, 0.00 ERA, 1 CG, 1 shutout, 10.0 IP, 10 Ks
Leila Ammon - 0-0 -W-L, 1.75 ERA, 4.0 IP, 1 K
Alyssa Faircloth - 2-0 W-L, 2.55 ERA, 1 CG, 11.0 IP, 21 Ks

ABOUT MURRAY STATE

Head Coach: Kara Amundson (DePaul '07) - 352-322-1 overall (14th season)/352-322-1 at Murray State (14th Season)
2026 Record: 3-2

All-Time Series: First Meeting

Returning Racers:
Batting

Ava Ozment - .400 BA, 1 run, 6 hits, 1 double, 3 RBIs
Adison Hicks - .400 BA, 3 runs, 6 hits, 1 double, 3 RBIs
Bailey Broemmer - .364 BA, 3 runs, 4 hits

Pitching

Emily Siurek - 0-0 W-L, 2.33 ERA, 9.0 IP, 7 Ks
Raylee Roby - 1-0 W-L, 1.09 ERA, 7.1 IP, 4 Ks
Hailey Brereton - 1-1 W-L, 3.82 ERA, 7.1 IP, 4 Ks

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS

Head Coach: Cody White (Southeastern Nazarene '08) - 499-175 overall (13th Season)/1-4 at North Texas (First Season)
2026 Record: 1-4

All-Time Series: First Meeting

Top Mean Green:
Batting

Elizabeth Moffitt - .429 BA, 5 runs, 6 hits, 1 double, 1 triple, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs
Bradi Harman - .294 BA, 2 runs, 5 hits, 1 HR, 2 RBIs
Ariah Mitchell - .231 BAA, 1 run, 3 hits

Pitching

Anneca Anderson - 0-0 - W-L, 5.44 ERA, 9.0 IP, 3 Ks
Britney Lewinski - 1-2 W-L, 6.46 ERA, 13.0 IP, 12 Ks

NFCA LEADOFF RECAP

Rutgers opened the 2026 season at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida at 3-2. The Scarlet Knights posted a no-hitter in a 5-0 win over North Carolina Central, an 11-3 win over South Alabama in six innings and a 6-4 victory over Notre Dame for the first win over the Fighting Irish since 2012.
In the 5-0 win over NCCU, sophomore right-hander Kelsey Hoesktra delivered a no-hitter for the Scarlet Knights behind a career-high nine strikeouts. The no-no has given the Scarlet Knights a no-hitter in each of the last three seasons. Her sister, Siera Hoekstra, captured RU's first home run of the year and finished the game with a pair of runs, sophomore Riley Hwang punched in the first RU run of the year on a stolen base and added a sacrifice fly and freshman Etta Garofalo pinch hit to knock in a a pair of runs.
No. 4 Tennessee picked up a 9-1 win in five innings in the nightcap of day one. RU's lone run came off the bat of sophomore Addie Osborne with a home run in the top of the fourth.
Rutgers rebounded with an 11-3 run-rule victory over South Alabama to open up day two. Kelsey Hoesktra improved to 2-0 going four scoreless innings with four strikeouts in the circle, while at the plate she was 2-for-3 with a two-RBI double to put the Scarlet Knights up in their first at-bat. Sister Siera went 2-for-2 with a two-run walk-off single in the sixth. Sophomore Bailey Burtis batted 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs while Osborne collected a two-run double and scored on Hoesktra's walk-off.
RU pulled within a run and had two aboard in the bottom of the seventh against defending Southland Conference Champion Southeastern Louisiana, but came up short in a 4-3 loss. Kelsey Hoesktra, who was the designated hitter, was 2-for-3, knocking in a run for an early 1-0 Scarlet Knight edge in the first, and also registered a double. Sophomore Kassandra Gewecke tossed 5.2 innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits while fanning three.
Osborne captured five RBIs on a two-run home run and a bases-loaded clearing double in a 6-4 win over Notre Dame. It was Osborne's second home run of the weekend. Gewkecke picked up her first Scarlet Knight victory with 5.2 innings of work and giving up only one extra base hit. Sam Rohwer sent in RU's other run of the game on a single.

B1G PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Kelsey Hoekstra was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on February 9. The Overland Park, Kansas native was named to the NFCA Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team after going 2-0 in the circle with a no-hitter and batted .556 with three runs and three RBIs in leading Rutgers to a 3-2 opening weekend.
Hoekstra collected her first career no-hitter in a 5-0 victory over North Carolina Central, striking out a career high nine Eagles. She also tossed four scoreless innings versus South Alabama in the 11-3 five-inning run-rule win. The right-hander is currently holding down a 0.60 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 11.2 innings of work.

ROSTER FUN FACTS

Rutgers is back with a balanced roster of returnees, newcomers and transfers. The Scarlet Knights welcome back eight letterwinners and six starters from last year's youthful squad while adding 11 newcomers to the mix, including six transfers.
Etta and Eva Garofalo are one of 15 sets of twins, and four freshman twins, playing Division I softball this season. The Scarlet Knight twins will also be taking on twin sisters from three other teams this season including Tennessee, Nebraska and FDU.
The duo, however, are not the only sisters on the roster as they join senior Siera Hoekstra and sophomore Kelsey Hoesktra as sisters in Scarlet. Together, the two sets of sisters are among the 27 sets of sisters who are teammates. Rutgers joins North Alabama and South Florida with multiple sets of sisters on a squad.

B1G PLAYERS TO WATCH

A trio of Scarlet Knights were lauded by the Big Ten as Players To Watch in 2026.
Junior outfielder Makenna Coleman is in her first season at Rutgers after spending the last two seasons on the roster at Bryant where she was the 2024 America East Rookie of the Year. As a freshman, she was also named First Team All-America East and earned a nod to the America East All-Tournament Team after hitting .347 and collecting 41 hits, eight doubles, four triples and 25 home runs. Last season, Coleman posted 45 hits, 16 doubles and 29 RBIs and set the America East Tournament record for doubles in a game (3) and most doubles in a tournament (5).
Junior infielder Sam Rohwer also joins the Scarlet Knight roster from Bryant. She was a 2024 First Team All-America East and America East All-Rookie team honoree behind 34 hits, five doubles, seven home runs, 29 RBIs and .469 slugging percentage. Last year, Rohwer earned First Team All-America East honors for the second-straight season as she racked up 54 hits, 13 doubles, 40 RBIs while hitting .355 with a .603 slugging percentage.
Junior right-handed pitcher Brooke Shifflett is also in her first year at Rutgers after two seasons at Creighton. As a sophomore, she tossed 72.2 innings with 62 strikeouts and held opponents to a .204 batting average. She made 21 appearances with three complete games and recorded a season-high six strikeouts in games with Kansas City, DePaul and Saint Mary's.

B1G PLAYERS TO WATCH

A trio of Scarlet Knights were lauded by the Big Ten as Players To Watch in 2026.
Junior outfielder Makenna Coleman is in her first season at Rutgers after spending the last two seasons on the roster at Bryant where she was the 2024 America East Rookie of the Year. As a freshman, she was also named First Team All-America East and earned a nod to the America East All-Tournament Team after hitting .347 and collecting 41 hits, eight doubles, four triples and 25 home runs. Last season, Coleman posted 45 hits, 16 doubles and 29 RBIs and set the America East Tournament record for doubles in a game (3) and most doubles in a tournament (5).
Junior infielder Sam Rohwer also joins the Scarlet Knight roster from Bryant. She was a 2024 First Team All-America East and America East All-Rookie team honoree behind 34 hits, five doubles, seven home runs, 29 RBIs and .469 slugging percentage. Last year, Rohwer earned First Team All-America East honors for the second-straight season as she racked up 54 hits, 13 doubles, 40 RBIs while hitting .355 with a .603 slugging percentage.
Junior right-handed pitcher Brooke Shifflett is also in her first year at Rutgers after two seasons at Creighton. As a sophomore, she tossed 72.2 innings with 62 strikeouts and held opponents to a .204 batting average. She made 21 appearances with three complete games and recorded a season-high six strikeouts in games with Kansas City, DePaul and Saint Mary's.

SOFTBALL AMERICA BIG TEN FRESHMAN TO WATCH

Four members of the roster landed on Softball America's Big Ten Freshmen To Watch list in January.
Freshman catcher Charleigh Schuettler begins her Scarlet Knight career after earning Desert Valley Region Defensive Player of the Year at Sandra Day O'Connor High School in Phoenix, Arizona.
Twin rookies infielder Etta Garofalo and catcher Eva Garofalo from Warwick, New York are one of 15 sets of twins, and four freshman twins, playing Division I softball this season. Etta ranked No. 20 nationally and was the No. 15 infielder by Line Drive Media, who led Warwick Valley High School in batting average, OBS, OPS, SLG and doubles. Eva, meanwhile, ranked No. 20 nationally and was the No. 9 catcher by Line Drive Media hitting .384 with 29 home runs, nine triples, 49 doubles and 14 RBIs with her Empire State Huskies club. Both were three-time Section 9 Division Champions at Warwick Valley.
Marley Caldwell, a right-handed hurler from Scottsdale, Arizona, enters the circle for Rutgers having earned 4 West Valley All-Region First team honors and being named Notre Dame Prep High School MVP

PRESEASON PREVIEW PODCAST

UP NEXT

The Rutgers softball team is back for the third consecutive year at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California. While out west, the Scarlet Knights will meet up with Bethune-Cookman, CSU-Fullerton, LMU, Utah, USC San Diego and take on Team Japan.

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